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Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Bike Friday Tikit Give-Away

In a purely shameless attempt to increase the readership on this blog (from my two loyal readers to maybe 4 or 6), I am going to give away my Bike Friday Tikit. If I can't increase blog readership based purely on my riveting stories, maybe I can buy it :-)

But first, let me say thanks to Velouria of Lovely Bicycle for helping me out with this shameless promotion and for taking all the awesome photos below.

So here's the deal. A few years ago, I took a job in downtown Boston in a big fancy building that didn't have a place where I could lock up my Cielo commuter and feel good about it being there at the end of the day. But if I had a quick folding bike, I could just fold it up and haul it inside the fancy marble foyered building and carry it up to my office without ruffling too many feathers. And if I got caught in snow, I could fold it up and take it home on the bus - or just leave it in my office and take the bus home. The Tikit was perfect for this. It takes about 10 seconds to fold. Naturally I got my Tikit fixed! And of course I set it up with a dynamo front wheel, an awesome single sided rack that allowed me to keep the pannier on when folded and the cover to ... ahem ... disguise it in the fancy marble foyered building.But then I stopped working and the Tikit became a doorstop. It became more of a doorstop when the stem got recalled last fall, but I got my new stem installed and all is well in the Tikit world again. But it wants to be ridden and folded and unfolded, and I'm just not meeting its needs. But you can! Here's all you have to do. Become a loyal reader! And post a comment here telling the world (well the two loyal readers) something you like about my blog - like a favorite post that isn't this one, or something you've learned or found funny or sad or whatever. This means if you are not already one of my two loyal and regular readers, that you might need to read some of the older posts.

Also include how the Tikit will improve your life.

If you comment anonymously, please include some means of identifying yourself. I don't need an email, just a unique name. You have until the middle of June.Near the end of June, I will announce the lucky winner - who can then provide me with real contact details. (This means you'll need to come back and read a post at the end of June.) Creativity will be rewarded. Shameless praise for the fixie pixie is not the goal, and won't help you - in fact it may DQ you!Shipping costs will be your responsibility, or if local (greater Boston) the winner may arrange to pick it up.

A little extra detail. The frame is a size large. I have the seat and stem as low as they will go. (I have a 30 inch inseam). The drivetrain is fixed. One could add a single speed freewheel - for single speed. This model is a commuter bike, not a travel bike. It folds quickly for hopping on and off buses and such. This model uses 16" wheels, where the bikes intended for travel use 20" wheels.

71 comments:

Pamela - I have been a loyal follower of your blog since your earlier days - I'm talking about the expansive type of information available at www.blayleys.com - I especially loved your posts regarding Paris Brest Paris and advice about Randonees. I was thrilled when V. talked you into a blog - and could read about your real life adventures with your Seven Cycles rig.

I am posting to enter the bike giveaway so that I can use the Bike Tikit with my S.O. Jonathan for bike touring - we do have only one folder - and have always longed for a Bike Tikit. I travel very expansively (we live in Ventura) but for example, today i'm in Calgary - and having bikes to put in the car/train would be fantastic. . . and we frequently are out at night!

Keep posting - I love reading the blog. Sorry to be so positive - I'll try to think of something sarcastic or negative to contribute - I just can't right now - I love your ride postings. It's that simple. Signed, Other Pam

Pamela, I met you last year during the RSC Rando-intro ride, and since then have also been getting into longer and longer rides. And ever since Velouria linked to your blog, it's been in my RSS feed and I've read many of the backlogs. I particularly like the trip reports (France most recently, even the Catskills! wow!)

I poured over your winter advice, because even after years of winter riding, I still got some new ideas.

I'm also planning on doing a mid-June version of your DROVES, and will be looking at your routes for inspiration!

And as much as I'd love a new folding bike, I don't really have a use for it, and I'm also probabaly a foot taller than you. so don't add me to the drawing -- its very generous of you though.

See on the road sometime (and sorry for just lurking so long, I'll be sure to post more!)

I am well aware and appreciative of the bounce I get whenever I get a mention on Lovely Bicycle. Her site is my highest referral site. And it goes without saying that Lovely Bicycle is the best blog around!

You mean there are three more readers than just me? Keep up on the blog, I love "riding" vicariously with you guys. (If I'm not riding then I certainly want to be reading about it!) Also, with so much negative stuff in the news, etc. it is nice to see that there is still a community of people with a common interest that if they are not friends then they certainly are not strangers.

I love cycling and folders are fantastic for loads of reasons. For me a folder means getting to see more places and more people.

I've looked through a few of your posts and so far I've enjoyed the gloves one most as I also use ski gloves when riding my shopping bike sometimes. I like the idea of sticking on reflective stickers onto gloves so you can be seen better.

Will continue to read on. Especially interested to read about your tandem and trip rides as well as your info regarding gear.

Come on now, you are being a tad rough on yourself. I've had your blog in my RSS feeds for a while and find it enjoyable to read.

Well, if I won the Tikit I'd do what I normally do with my bikes. Take it randonneuring, 12 hour events, etc just to see how far I could ride it in one day and for the sake of doing it in a different way. If you want the bike to stay pretty, clean and unused - don't send it my way.

Well I have signed up for your blog and, so far, I enjoy it thoroughly!! I am still working my way through, but so far I really enjoyed the "Domestique to a Brand New Randonneuse" the best. Mainly because I had read the Lovely Bicycle! version and found it fascinating to see your side of the story. Very good writing. I am betting your Tikit is bigger than the small size I would need and while I am losing weight, I am probably to heavy for it. However, I like the idea of an easy to pack up bike I can ride around town, to the grocery store, etc. It would provide more opportunities to ride. I am trying to lose weight and have even started my own blog about my adventures. I hope one day to get back to your level of riding ability. When I was younger, I rode the Seattle to Portland in two days, each being my two longest rides ever. Hope to do it again and I love the idea of Randonneuring. Been following Constance, as she picks it up, but also Jan Heine. Inspired by the book, Just Ride, by Grant Petersen, I am trying to ride everyday, even if it is only for a few miles. Glad to be introduced to your blog as well and have added it to my reading list!

I'm not entering your drawing because I am too short, with way too short a reach, and want the gears the tickit doesn't have -- but I have read most of the Blayley's site, and have found my way to your blog before. Thank you for your advice -- worth much more than I paid for it!

I am not actually responding to win the bike but to be counted with those who follow your blog.

I have been following Velouria's blog posts for about a year now. In addition I've recently subscribed to Jan Heine's magazine and following his blog.

The reason I am here on your blog is because I read (with fascination) about Velouria's 200k brevet where she mentions you. This lead me to your blog which I like because of your info that pertains to these extended cycling events. One article which comes to mind is your article on dyno hubs and lighting.

I would someday like to participate in a brevet. My longest ride so far has been 40 miles, which I completed last week. I rode it solo. (I got left behind in the dust!) I find it truly amazing how you helped Velouria on her first 200k. I think if more cyclists would help newer cyclists like you did that the sport would grow in leaps and bounds. Thanks for being such a great example.

Don't put me in your contest, but I'll do what I can to increase you blog traffic. So I'm tweeting out a link to this post & correcting the tragic oversight of not having your blog on the links page of my blog. My best to you and John (I think we first met at PBP in 1999, I was the guy on the green Bike Friday New World Tourist).

Hello, I'm not interested in the bike, have more than enough myself, but I've been reading your blog on and off and your website has been a source of great info for some time. You Blayley's have a great deal of experience to share and nice to see a fellow pixie rocking it!

I've had the pleasure of following your adventures for the past year,(via RSS and Twitter)and they've been great inspiration to me(and consolation when the weather has kept me pinned down in front of the computer).

You are among a group of bloggers who help me tell the "I can't" voice to shut it, and get me out riding. We all need encouragement to keep putting in the miles so rides like you do in the Catskills (or long gravel grinds in my part of the world) are awesome instead of awful. Also,thanks for all you do to support riding in your area. I'm unfortunately about 1500 miles too far away to take advantage of it, except to learn the proper way to set up group rides and routes. I'm extremely jealous of the cycling community that I see in and around Boston.

In regards to the Tikit, I estimate that I am about a foot too tall for the bike. However, I believe my wife is about your height, and she would put the Tikit to great use as a quick commuter and errand bike.(She also adores green, if that is any help.) She and I are both just getting started as cyclists, and would love to bring the Tikit to a good home.

I, too, am not entering the drawing, as I don't ride fixed gear, plus I'm too short. However, I have been a regular follower of your blog for awhile now from far-away Seattle. Not sure how I first got linked to it . . .Lovely Bicycle? Seven? RSC? Who knows. Anyway, have particularly enjoyed the account of the Rapha Festive 500, was amazed by the number of miles you rode and elevation gain in 2012, and wondered where in the world you had gotten to when you didn't post much in the early part of 2013--glad you've been posting more lately! Have also enjoyed your posts on winter riding gear. Am visiting my sis in Boston in June and am coming with bike (another one of those fabulous Sevens) and am looking forward to doing one of your Tuesday RSC long rides while I'm there! :-)

I recognized your name. I think I read your work back when the New Zealand days were more recent. I think that may have been in the pre-blog website days. I always enjoy reading about trips and tandems. Both together is an unbeatable combination.I definitely would like to be in the drawing. My work office has moved and I have been watching Ebay for a folder to commute with. A one-speed is feasible since I live in flat central Indiana. Regards, Fritz

Hello Pamela,As a small wheel bikeholic, I must shamelessly ask you to enter me into the tikit contest even though this is my first day as a loyal reader ;pMy eyes instantly lighted up when I read free tikit give away on Lovely Bicycle!I commute by another 16" wheel bike - Dahon Curve d3 everyday, and have always wanted the tikit for its fast fold and stiff frame!So when i read about this "read and win" contest, i thought this is too good to be true!!I'm from San Franscisco bay area which has fantastic weather for bike ride.This should be very enjoyable to read fixie pixie riding pixie fixie as well as all the tours you have done.

I came across your website in the early 2000's when I was looking for a better lighting system for my commute bike. I think you were preparing to move to New Zealand. I remember you commented that every bike commuter has a box of old, out-dated lights and, sure enough, so did I. I used a Shimano hub generator for years and now use a MagicShine battery system. When our daughter went off to college, we bought a tandem after reading your posts and have now ridden it four times in Cycle Oregon and numerous organized day rides. We don't go fast, but we have fun together.

I was brought to your blog via Lovely Bicycle a few months ago and have been following your blog since. It's refreshing and mind opening to read your writing on the Randonnee sport. I have just started doing brevets and your experience is encouraging and makes me want to ride more and more. My favorite post is on your Honey All-road. What an exquisite and tastful bike. I ride with an old steel Bridgestone RB-1 with max tire clearance of 28mm and always wished for more cushier ride from fatter tires. Your Honey looks like just about as perfect as a bike can get. Comfort, practical, without sacrificing speed.

I could really use that Tikit folder as I have recently started working at my new empolyment which doesn't allow me to bring my Bridgestone indoor. Because of this, I have stopped bicycle commuting and either takes the city bus or drive through dense traffic to work, which takes about 50 minutes to go 10kms. If I have a folder, I can ride to work in less than 20 minutes and upon arrival, fold up the bike and bring it inside the office. Your Tikit would get to be ridden daily if I am privilaged to be chosen to be its next owner.

Hello Pam,I've been reading your blog for the past month. This is the first time I've posted anything. I knew about you from Lovely bicycle, but didn't know that you had your own blog until now. I'm smitten by the bike bug and enjoyed the lovely blog because I was learning alot from it. Your blog is a nice step forward because biking around here freaks me out sometimes because of the cars. I looked at all your bike routes and that gives me the confidence to go out on the roads because I live in Newton. Anyway, I'm going to venture out, knowing that the roads I take were traveled by you already! Keep on blogging. I hope at some point I'm up to riding in the events that you go to.

Hey everyone, Sorry about the size! A medium would have been perfect for me too! But when I bought it, it was on closeout - and large was what they had left! I have the seat all the way down and a super short stem (to compensate for the reach). I am a bit under 5'7" - apparently I am shrinking as I grow older ;-( and have a 30" inseam. The bike will definitely work for taller folks. Sorry to the true pixies out there. At one time, I did also own a size small geared hyperfold tikit. It was at the other end of the range for me - had a super long seatpost and stem. I think I cleared the shop out of their Bike Fridays with those two purchases. I sold the geared one a few years ago. I'm not sure it sees much action, so I could pass on interest to the new owner, if someone is really interested in buying a lightly used one.

As a fixie pixie, I really can't apologize for the lack of gears!

I will clarify that the Tikit is a commuter intended for multi-modal commuting and quick fold. The only thing fast about the bike is the fold! It is not a high performance bike by any stretch of the imagination. The fold is quick, but not as "compact" as their travel bikes. It won't fit in an airline regulation case without considerably more disassembly.

I've enjoyed all the comments, but most of you are dq'd for the shameless praise. I wasn't fishing for compliments. I was really hoping to find of what kind of stories make people come back!

In a shameless attempt to avoid disqualification, let me say that I keep coming back to your blog for two reasons. The first is the ride reports (and photos). I greatly enjoy reading about your adventures, and using your experience to help me improve as a rider.The second is the cycling community that you allow us to vicariously participate in. Speaking for myself, cycling in the rural Midwest can be a bit of a lonely endeavor. While that's not all bad (no traffic!) I come back to your blog to see the community that does exist, and that can be created.

Re: The Tikit improving my life: Upon closer inspection, I believe it is a bike that would fit both my wife an I. She would be delighted to use it as a in town errand runner, and I would love to take advantage of its folding abilities for use in my work as an appraiser.

Discovered your blog through the post on lovelybike and added it to my Feeds. I enjoyed reading your post on the Seven fixed belt drive as I am planning a new fixed gear build and belts are attractive and intriguing. A tikit would be a perfect addition to my bike stable, I am travelling by plane quite a lot for work and would enjoy such travel companion. It would see a lot of use!Keep on riding and blogging!Cheers.Sébastien Jutras

I came across you blog just yesterday from a google search. Was wanting to re-read some of the articles from your website, which I first heard about from the RUSA website, I think. Great blog, and I will be back often. Oh, and you are totally awesome and a credit to the randonneuring sport.

Now that I have sufficiently DQ'd myself (fixed gear bikes are not my cup of tea), I really enjoy ride reports, as well as articles on training and riding advice. I am just getting back into cycling after way too many years away, and can use all the encouragement and good advice that I can get!

Are you able to count us RSS folks when you look at your readership? I'll try to click through to your blog site from my reader more often if not. I, too, have had your blog in my RSS feed for a while, though I can't remember where I originally stumbled on it- I think while researching Sevens.

Sadly, due to the price tag, a Seven will have to remain my dream bike for many moons to come. I did, however, unabashedly steal a number of lower-budget things from your own build for my long-distance bike: Crud RoadRacers, the Lightweights reflectors on spokes, Lumotec Cyo lights, etc. I've also been slowly working my way through some of your 60ish mile routes- Haystack, Concord the Long Way- and aspire to the longer ones some day.

I'm sure the Tikit would be useful for me for a few reasons- I actually own a Bike Friday- the off-the-shelf Pocket Companion- that I've used a little bit for travel. I knew it was a travel bike, and not intended for frequent folding, when I bought it, but I think I underestimated the folding hassle. It only ever gets used on trips and it only ever gets folded to pack it up. There have been a number of potentially multimodal trips where I just avoided a bike leg rather than deal with the hassle of the not-so-folding bike- particularly the MBTA during busy hours, which seems to be the only time I use it. Also, my BF is a size medium, which is what they recommend for people my height, but it turns out I am almost always more comfortable on the size larger than is recommended by manufacturers- I suppose I'm gorilla shaped.

I will also shamelessly appeal to your fixie-evangelism. I have never ridden a fixed gear bike. I'm interested in them, but they've just never seemed to make sense in my small, urban bike stable when I could have an internal hub or a road bike. But it makes perfect sense on a folding commuter, particularly in a flat place like Boston.

Thanks for running the contest. I was already a reader, but I hope you get the traffic you're aiming for!

Stories about long rides in remote places keep me coming back. I do some myself but never so long and certainly not so frequently. I must be your third reader you didn't realize you had. That's about how many I have and you should have more than me with your stories.

I think I'd like the Tikit but not sure. It's small but finding room might be tough. Bit riding to the T then to work does has its appeal.

First and foremost, I don't actually need the bike that you are offering here. I'm sure that everybody would prefer to see it go to somebody who will use it.

I actually haven't read a lot of your blog -- I've just started perusing it over the past few weeks. But...I remember reading your postings on the Usenet rec.bicycles group a long time ago. I'd definitely say that you were an influence in my decision to ride my first century. That was {N} centuries ago at this point...

To be frank, as an experienced rando rider, your words on riding and this sport carry a lot of weight, at least to me. Keep the ride reports, thoughts, and your opinions on equipment coming. The more opinionated the better. I am here to better understand the sport through your eyes in order to enrich mine. So your subjective views are critical and keeps me interested in coming back. Give it to us straight Pam style.

First, thank you for your wonderful blog, I enjoy your writing very much and there's tons of technical jargon without being too technical. It's very well balanced. Your pictures are great too and I sometimes get to see my friend Dave W, whom I miss a lot. My bikes and riding interests are similar to yours, keep up the great work.I've put a link to your blog from mine, maybe one of my 3 subcribers will link to yours.http://ruthworkssf.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-blayleys-cycling-adventures.htmlPS-No need to enter me into your raffle, our tiny apartment is already overflowing with bikes. We actually need to sell a bike or three.Love,Ely

The Tikit would absolutely improve my life, because I could finally have a bicycle that would be perfect for commuting in Chicago, that I can take on the Metra or the EL! In my dreams I have a folding bike that I could hop on the metra with, that I could even take it on the train to Milwaukee and ride to my grandma's house! Total bonus that it is a fixie, I was hoping to get a fixie this year and this would satisfy BOTH my biking wants (NEEDS more like it ;)

This is neat contest and I look forward to looking at you blog a bit more. Reading your accounts of randonneuring has been entertaining and your thoughts and advice on generator lighting have been invaluable to me.

As for the bike, I love green, I miss the Brompton that I sold and have always wanted a Bike Friday. Basically, it will help fill in the transportation gaps in our one car family.

Pamela, I've been reading your blog and website occasionally the last year, and your writing has been growing on me. At this point, I'd be happy reading anything you write about. But you asked, and so I'd just say, keep writing about your adventures and the rare misadventure! Your post about paying it forward really got my attention, and when I see you're going about it, well I'm impressed.

Hello,I found out about your blog from Velouria's blog post. For the past few days, I have been reading about your stories. My favourite post thus far has to be "A Mt. Washington duathlon". The perseverance and tenacity demonstrated throughout the ride are truly admirable and inspiring.

I am graduating college in May. For the last four years, I have buried my nose in textbooks and spent hours in labs doing research in order to strengthen my application for medical school.

Well...I didn't get into any of them.

To have poured my heart into something only to fall short is certainly disheartening, but your story has inspired me. If I am determined to accomplish my goal(to cross that finish line), then I will find a way (pedaling, skipping,and hobbling) to achieve my dream.

This summer, I want to do something, not for my transcript nor for med school,but just for myself. I want to ride the tikit to places I have never been to before, to eat new food, and to meet new people. And to do it all on a fixed gear will certainly be a challenging, yet rewarding experience. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

Hey RR! I already have more bikes than I can ride (including one that has your old Look pedals on it!)! After lurking around your postings off and on for oh so many years while my cycling days seemed to recede ever further into the past, I wandered by today to say that I am taking renewed inspiration from your off-handed comment a couple of decades ago, something like: "when you start doing back-to-back centuries..." At the time I was like, oh HAH! Now, staring my 60th birthday in the eye, I'm thinking, well, why not? Maybe next year, if I work up to it! Three weeks after getting the new bike (first new bike in 22 years!), I am here to say: bicycles can make time go backward!

So: no folding bike for me, thanks, I've nowhere to keep it (anybody want an antique 3-speed?) and my commute involves the stairs in my townhouse. And I will hold back on the shameless praise except to say I am so glad you and John are still riding and still sharing the joy. My favorite recent post (the fave old one is "Marriage on the Bikeway" -- hey I see all of us there!) is on being Domestique to a new Randonneuse; I think that one stirred up my memories of your example in the olden days and reminded me of how much joy I used to get from riding. As Arthur Bester said:

There has been joy; there will be joy again!

Happy trails --from you know who.PS I'm working to spread your fame on the west coast....

Well, I kind of want the Tikit, but don't need it, so will leave the spot for someone else. I love your blog, I aspire to get my mileage back up so I can meet you on one of the rides, along with so many of the people you, Velouria and other local bloggers mention. So close......just a few extra miles....an hour....every day....all night....oh, the sleep deprivation......Not that it was an option, but I vote for Karen! More stories of the rides!

Where do I even begin. I have followed your exploits for a LONNNGGGG time, and the last time I said that you accused me of calling you old. Well, I have about five years on you so you are definitely YOUNG, at least in spirit if not in years. But seriously, I first became aware of you from tandem@hobbes, where I still see you posting, and you were frequently mentioned by Carapace Completed Umber (Sheldon Brown) whom I also followed. I fact, I vividly remember his description of your wedding on the bike path, each of you arriving on singles from opposite directions, and then departing the ceremony on a tandem. So unlike many, I did not come to you from Lovely Bicycle, whom I also adore reading and learning from, so no knock on dear Velouria.

As for your current blog, I read and re-read many entries. Ones that stand out are the Ride to Redemption series with all of the clever destinations and roads that tied into the redemption theme, the Quadzilla series, the hill climb up Mt Washington when John had the disastrous mechanical and ended up running the rest of the way up. Probably my favorite is the incredible saga detailed in the Rapha Gent's Ride series (The Perfect Storm and Bravery) and finally there is the much-aclaimed Domestique to Randonneuse. And there are lots more besides those. Fun to read, informative and and a treasure trove of information. That goes for your blog and your website, and you and John are a constant inspiration for my wife and I as we pursue our tandem adventures.

By the way, did you have a hand in designing the tandem@hobbes jersey many years back? We still have and wear ours.

I look forward to continuing to learn from you and mostly to enjoying your writing style and sense of humor, and great posts. Thanks for the tip on the Garmin 800 GPS, and thanks for the all the fun stories.

By the way, I'm only 5'6", so a little shorter that you and not sure how I'd fit the Tikit, but it would be cool to have and learn to ride fixed gear.

Also meant to mention that I frequently go to your website for tandem info, though it is getting a little dated with the change in your tandem stable. But, the info is still useful. By the way, when did you change the Seven tandem from cow horns to drop bars for the stoker and why?

Would love to take credit, but we had nothing to do with the hobbes jerseys.

I promise to get updates on the current state of the seven tandem out soon. So many things to blog about, so little time. We switched from bullhorns to drops pretty early on. We found standing was better with the narrower drops. I was apparently levering the bike around with the wider bullhorns. Other changes are we got the Co-Motion Carbon fork, and finally mounted fenders and lights. But as I said, I will post an update soon. And I am slowly migrating lots of the website stuff to the blog, but any time I spend on the blog is time not spent on the bike, so I need some rainy days as an excuse.

Hi, I really enjoy your blog. I've been reading on and off since last fall (I only seem to read bike blogs in the spring and fall, although I ride year round). The adventure posts are a lot of fun—but I have to thank you for the winter wear posts. You said get a hat and I did. This winter was much easier than last! Although this winter wasn't so bad down here in DC (I was jealous of the snow up north when you posted photos—so right now all the snow porn and biking in the winter snow posts were my favorite lately). Lately you've inspired me to start thinking about going back to riding fixed—I did it for years (until I fell down one of the really long metro escalators and my leg bent the wrong way). I'm totally with you on the importance of fenders and simplicity for a winter bike (which would usually be my communing bike year-round). Thanks for the blog!

This is my entry for the awesome possum bike friday one way tikit giveway!! Pawing through the blog’s archives, I have already dug up more than one gem of a post (how do you know so much about cycling?!). You wanted a third loyal reader? You’ve got one! And you’re getting me young, too, I’ve got many good years of readership ahead of me! In all seriousness, I am soaking up all this knowledge. I thought I knew a thing or two about cycling as I have grown up around bikes (bike-loving parents!) and have fond memories of summer vacations spent riding behind my dad on our __________ __o __o__________ -\<,-\<, ................(_)/---/(_).....but clearly I have more to learn. Nowadays, I commute everywhere in the city by bike, and when I can get time away from my textbooks I head out for longer joy rides. Last summer was the highlight of my cycling “career” – I did a self-supported MTL to Boston ride... and it was EPIC! I still have some trouble with/\ \ \ /\ o_ \/ \___O/ _ _.>/ _ _.>/ _ (_)/ (_) (_) \(_) (_) \(_) (_) \ (_)----------------------------------I would be ecstatic about commuting on this bad boy!- Your third loyal reader, G.C.

I still have some trouble with/\ \ \ /\ o_ \/ \___O<O______(and no shortage on such hills on the way!) but I feel I’ve finally gotten my “sea” legs. Discovering your blog has been awesome. When you read about other people commuting all winter long (in a place where, yes, there is snow on the ground!), testing out all sorts of sweet rides (that belt drive seven cafe racer S DREAMCYCLE, for one), and mistaking a 500K challenge for a 500 MILE one and happily shrugging off the mistake... it makes you feel like all your dreams really can come true!! If other women are doing it, why can’t I? If may not be leading the way, but at least I can draft behind in their slipstream! __o __o __o __o _`\<,_ _`\<,_ _`\<,_ _`\<,_(*)/ (*) (*)/ (*) (*)/ (*) (*)/ (*)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Having been a bike commuter pretty much ever since I had a crush on Kevin from the Backstreet Boys (don’t cringe, we were all young and silly once!), I have had dreams of owning a folding bike since I layed eyes on one a few years back. The idea of being able to fold up one’s means of transportation and to tuck it away INDOORS once you’ve arrived at your destination? Amazing! Throwing it (gently!) into the trunk of a car or boarding a metro car without a thought? Yes please! In my mid-twenties, I still don’t have a driver’s licence as I prefer to rely on my own pedal power to get around (I will admit to buying a transit pass or two come winter... but I’m working on that!) I’ve been riding an old hand-me-down Peugeot as a commuter bike, but I’m more than due for an upgrade. The Tikit is the commuter’s dream bike!

I’ve ogled but have never ridden a fixed gear bike, figuring that in my neighbourhood I wouldn’t look hipster enough atop one. but after reading your description of fixed gears giving you momentum from the wheel going round to help you push a bigger gear on the uphills... well, I say bring on the legal performance enhancer!! Besides, I don’t think a fixed FOLDIE will really impress those hipsters... why go with the flow when you can turn heads and commute with easy on a OnE wAy TiKiT ?!? __o o__ o__ o__ _ \<,_ _.>/ _ _.>/ _ _.>/ _ (_)/ (_) (_) \(_) (_) \(_) (_) \ (_)----------------------------------------I would be ecstatic about commuting on this bad boy!- Your third loyal reader, G.C.

I jumped over to your blog via Lovely Bicycle. I've taken some time to read older posts, my favorite is the Domestique to Brand New Randoneeuse! When I read that post I knew it was my favorite. I started riding as a commuter in 2010. My husband is a very fast and accomplished rider and although I liked riding trails with him I always felt like I was holding him back. One day we were riding and I encouraged him to ride on at his pace without me and I would catch up. He told me, "No way. If I did that my ride wouldn't be fun anymore. I am out here to spend time with you and I can just spin. Our time together is more dear to me than you think." WOW! I was floored and will admit had googly eyes for him the whole rest of the ride. Now I'm moving from commuting to touring and loving the time on my bike and the time we spend together on the road. Our vacations have become long distance touring vacations. I don't think I would have progressed so fast without his support. I now lend the same to new riders. You are so right in your words "Just ride with them!" You've been added to my blogroll. Thanks so much Pamela! Jennifer in KS

I enjoy your blog for opening up possibilities in the bicycle realm. The places, the hills and the miles you ride, learning about Brevets and Permanents and Randonneurs and those irresistible dynamo hub lights. (Something about those Teutonic lights… is it true they can make a cyclist whole?)

I especially enjoyed your posts about your trips to North Carolina. Images of monster hills that have tamed themselves, a million miles that weren’t, of streets that are strange but familiar and of grandma and cousins, of softness and laughter and the smell of biscuits in the oven.

I think in America we believe that we are what we make ourselves to be. And that is true. But we are also where and whom we come from. And both, when revisited, seem not as you remembered them. And the rediscovery of those bygone paths brings, for me, a clarity of who I am.

The bicycle, in a small way, takes me there. Subconsciously, the act of pedaling triggers the emotions of childhood—-curiosity and trust-—that you will find something good just beyond the boundary line and dinner will be ready when you get back home. And to recall things you said to yourself back then, about who you would become.

I thank you for your posts which have rekindled my love of the bicycle and the possibilities it creates.

I live in the Philadelphia area but my work takes me to Stamford CT, Boston and Westborough/Marlborough MA, and San Diego CA. It’d be wonderful to ride the Tikit to explore each place beyond the boundary line.

I have returned to university here in Cork and your lovely green bikefriday would be ideal for my commute. Due to recession here I could manage to pay the shipping costs and possible import duty ,but the purchase price of the bike added, would make this impossible as I am not working now.I'm a mature student who has cycled for many years and just love bicycles and cycling.I noted the fact that your bike is fitted with mudguards,sorry fenders, so the soft Irish weather would be no problem .As for the green paintwork,it would fit right in,here at home.All the best from Sean Rothar Eile,,,,

As my creative and shameless contribution to increase your blog readership, I added two widgets to the RUSA Blogs website: 'Featured Blog Of The Day' and 'Webmaster's Favorite'. Both point to your blog. And in keeping with the fixie theme, both links are fixed and will always point to your blog. (Webmastership has its perks!)

I like your blog because you embody the true spirit of randonneuring. My favorite example is shown in this celebration photo back in March, immediately following the Howling Grits 100K in central North Carolina. You set a great example for other randos. (I missed that ride!)

Winning the Tikit would enable me to indulge a recently acquired travel bug. I just did a long car trip with the bike on a rack, and an air trip renting a bike, but both had their disadvantages. I've been thinking that a folder will be the best way to spontaneously throw a bike into the car or train and go exploring.

And of course, I'll gift the bike to another worthy person as soon as the thrill fades here.

Hi Pamela, I love your blog and do read it. I have no need for the Tikit in my life so don't count me in your contest, but I do want to show support! Thanks for all the great things you and your husband do for cycling in the GBA, and see you on a ride soon!

A small family here in Vermont, with but a single carMom and dad often have to travel, sometimes afarTo Boston I go, or the Cape, or nearby,Sometimes off to Chicago, or further west, when I fly.

With small children at homeWe juggle and adjust, with our one car and car seats, it can make a sane parent nuts.Call a cab, drop me off, pick me up, take the bus.

But oh how a folder would just make life easier. A small bike like yours would fit in a cab, or tuck in the bus, or maybe a suitcase in a pinch, so I could ride to my meetings, off in far away lands, pedaling a wheel, instead of sitting behind one.

Yes, a folder, for sure, it would be...Just the Tikit.

Mike, in VT, who you inspired to get an IF Club Racer when I started Rando riding.

(odd that the very week you posted this contest I started planting seeds of N+1 for a better way for me to get back and forth to the airport, rental cars, and have something to ride when I'm on the road....)

Hi, I've been reading your blog, especially the posts about fixed gear riding and I like how you've made fixed gear riding more accesible. For brevets to commuting, fixed works just fine. You've definitely got more than 2 readers!

I personally have no need for a fixed gear tikit, but my girlfriend, who seems to be about your size would be super pumped to have it for commuting to school. We live in a tiny apartment and the little tikit would be much easier to store inside than her current bike, which we would give away to make room for the tikit.

I'm new to your blog but found you via Lovely Bicycle during her recent post about enjoying a Tandem experience. My wife and I are just starting out with a tandem and so far suprising ourselves with how much we enjoy it. I've gone back and read a couple of your recent posts and your now a permanent addition to my blog reader (guess I'll have to figure something out once google reader goes away!)

Anyway, the Tikit looks like a cool bike. I travel about 1-2 weeks a month for work and struggle to get in my cycling during those trips. I've been toying with buying a cheap bike at my main travel destinations or going to a coupled, or folding bike for that purpose. I know you state that your Tikit is a commuter not a travel edition but it looks like it would fit in a suitcase pretty well. Anyway I'll let you be the judge of that but I'd love to give the Green Tikit a good home in Washington DC!

I'm looking forward to mining your backlog of tandem related posts in particular and will link you up on my fledgling blog as well, Happy Riding!

I would like to try life with your fabulous green Tikit! I am tall enough (5'12") with an inseam somewhere around 33ish. I have a 4 mile commute to work with only one short hill on the way to work and I imagine I would use the Tikit a few times a week for commuting. Since our bridge collapsed into the river last week (Skagit River/Mount Vernon, WA) commuting by bicycle is even more important to me! I'd love to thumb my nose (mentally of course) at the cars sitting still on the road while I zip by them on the bike with a huge smile on my face. :) That’s going to be a mess for months, but at least it’s during good bike riding season!If I could put a basket on it I would probably use it to go to Farmer's Market also because ... well, because I could! But... my secret reason for really, really wanting this bike is to take it on the boat and bike the San Juan Islands. My husband and I took a weekend to Lopez Island, WA last fall and it was so wonderful, such great biking! My awesome husband has nearly finished restoration of a British sailboat and we want to take it back to the Islands often this summer. However ... we don't have room for full-size bikes!! We want to bike and kayak the San Juan Islands and can't fit both bikes on the boat. The Tikit would be "just the ticket" (groan! sorry about that...) for continuing our bicycling adventures this summer. I found your blog while googling "bicycling blogs" and have been reading it off and on since last fall. I enjoy reading about rides, new bike experiences and why you like your fixed-gear bikes. Recently I clicked back here from Lovely Bicycle's blog and caught up on a few months that I'd missed, and although I appreciate the tips and tricks (yes I do!) I find that I love reading about the rides. I can ride vicariously through you while sitting on my lunch break. So, thanks for considering me for the green Tikit! And who knows ... maybe I'll end up starting my own blog about bicycling the San Juans on a green Tikit.

Thank you for running the contest and, at the risk of DQing myself, your wonderful blog.

I'm entering the contest on behalf of my wife. Originally, I was not planning on entering the contest. I already own a 20" Bike Friday, and while I can see why a Tikit has its own advantages, I wanted to spread to the small wheeled joy. My wife is a consistent utility cyclist, including hauling two small children around town in a trailer, but she likes her bike and hasn't seen a need for a change.

This changed last night, however. We are planning a family trip to Washington, D.C. this summer. While out doing a little shopping at our local co-op, she saw a raffle for a folding bike (Honest Tea is giving away Citizens at co-ops nationwide -- other entrants take note). When she returned home, she told me she really hopes that she wins it so that we can both bring our bikes and our trailer (which also collapses) on the trip. She'll have some time with the kids while I'm attending a conference at the University of Virginia and being able to cart them around Charslottesville would be a nice bonus. Going forward, as the kids get older, she's planning to return to teaching as a substitute. Being able to slip a folding bike into a cloak room would be much nicer than having to leave it at the often inadequate bike parking at our local schools.

As the guidelines state that creativity will be rewarded, allow me to conclude with a limerick:

There once was a blog by a BlayleyWho had a plan to boost readership dailyShe gave 'way a TikitColored green like a cricketA better prize than an orange ukulele

The first post I read on your blog was about riding a fixie for a race up Mt. Washington. You've been in my RSS feed ever since. What I love about reading about your rides is that you blow away my preconceptions about how or where or how often to ride a bike and what kind to ride where. And besides being inspired to ride further and more adventurously than I would have thought I could or even should, I also love to read the more technical posts where you share your wisdom and know-how. The posts where you discuss commuting to work, including what is a reasonable distance and how to dress for winter riding were invaluable for me when I transitioned to commuting to work by bike this past winter. I've read them over and over again and they have been really helpful, especially the discussions of base layers and gloves. As for the bike, the commuter rail system here in Boston, as you know, only allows folding bikes during rush hour. It would be nice to add a folding bike to the arsenal for when I have ridden to work but need to take the train somewhere around 5 pm. Whatever you do, please don't stop writing about biking - there are so few biking blogs of this caliber, the local angle is fantastic for bikers in boston and it's great to read a female cyclist who really knows her stuff.

Living on an island that goes the mainland by ferry is great. A trip to town is a boat ride passing volcanic cones, uninhabited islands and occasionally, a pod of dolphins. But getting to and from the ferry is an adventure. The island carpark is filled to capacity before breakfast. In town, free parking is a 35 minute walk. Eventually, I worked out that the best way to get around is by bicycle. But bike to car is not easy.

First, it’s rack on tailgate: unlock car, get rack, unfold, twist & lock in place, affix straps, hoist bike, strap, and on arrival discover that said bike is covered in road crud – not well-earned bike crud, but back-splash car crud with road grit in all the wrong places. Time for Plan B.

Next trip to US, mail order a folding Montague, bring home as luggage. Take to car. Open hatch, fold seats, insert bike. Hmm. Montague fits, sort of, just barely. Actually it’s difficult to get in and out, a real pain. It seems to almost be easier to just remove the front wheel and shove it in except that turns the fenders into bananas. Time for Plan C: a folder with smaller wheels.

Research time. What’s a good bike? Turn to Velouria and surprise: her latest posting is about a bike named Friday. Cute bike, great review and a better punchline – it’s looking for a new home. Follow the hyperlink to the Blayley’s web site where a thread captures attention… expats who moved to New Zealand but went back home. Small world department. Forget reading about bike, read downunder blog. Oh how well we understand your pain. Sorry to have lost you before we met you.

Moving to New Zealand is an adventure. We did it in 97 from CT. Convinced the place to be was Nelson – artist colony, great weather, amazing walks. Until we actually got there and saw what you eventually realised. We kept looking.

The other problem we found was the fact that NZ never had a freeway orgy. No underutilised state/local highways that make cycling a pleasure. In NZ, the highways are two-lane roads with 100KPH cars playing hopscotch with monster timber & bulk-milk trucks. However, that is now changing as they build the national cycle trail and cities are adding bike routes. Pamela, have a look at http://frocksonbikes.wordpress.com/ to see how the bike world in NZ is evolving.

Which brings us back full circle – we found The Island. Not just any island, but one that greets visitors from the car ferry wharf with a sign that says "Slow Down – You’re Here". The speed limit is 50K; not a lot of cars. In the villages, bikes overtake the cars during rush minute (the once-an-hour ferry arrival). No traffic lights. Security at our favourite café is locking the helmet strap in the front wheel.

Good advice we got was buy land and build, don’t buy a Kiwi house. In a country where 1% of land is settlement, Kiwis suffer from Norman Conquest Syndrome. They build small, cramped houses that are damp, drafty and come with expensive surprises like the Blayley’s roof. We built using home-made earth bricks employing local blokes (a subclass of Kiwis who are resourceful, innovative, irreverent and surprisingly erudite under a veneer of vulgarism) who made a lovely, wonderful home for us.

To the Blayley’s I would say, if your residency visa is still good, you may want to give NZ another try, only forget Nelson. The jobs are in Auckland, and as of late it has culturally reinvented itself. What was a drab, tired downtown is now vibrant, alive and a good life. Come on down, check it out, bring the bike with you and leave it with us when you go home. Otherwise, I’ve got a buddy heading up your way in a couple of weeks.

To other folks considering moving down under to the other end of the earth, feel free to ask for advice on our web forum (villagetowns.net). Done right, NZ’s a great move. But location shapes the experience. You need to find the right place.

Thanks for the great stories and pics you blog about, your audience is larger than two, and for those of us who live far from where we were born, it is always a pleasure to reconnect with home.

You know, I'd really really really *like* to have a teeny folding fixie so I could outfit it as a rando bike and take it out on a couple of 200s and 300s, but I sit here and look at my already too large pile of bikes (fixie rando, geared rando, geared porteur/rando, xtracycle porteur/rando, pile of tubes that I want to make into something, crashed crosscheck that I'm making into a cycletruck) and have got to accept that I would never use it unless I ended up going somewhere where I had to fly and couldn't simply rent a bike for the brevet.

Plus, sadly, I'm an irregular reader of this weblog -- I read it more now that lovely bicycle has linked to it, but there are really only a couple of bikey weblogs/bbses that I read regularly these days (if I read more, it would cut into my riding time, and that is Not Allowed.)

I actually came across your blog when I was looking at how well belt drives worked in real life. With your extensive archive, I'm pretty sure you move more than 2 readers!

I saw the Tikit giveaway on Lovely Bicycle and thought that I would write.

My commute is a 10km round trip. I had a Dahon folder for 4 years. As sometimes I need to go a bit further out into the suburbs that I can comfortably ride so I would take it on transit. Multi-modal...that's me! :-)

However, on one of these trips, the bike was soaking wet and I left it out in a client's reception area thinking it was safe. When I returned...well, you know the story.

Since thing, I've been using a full fledged Kona Paddy Wagon in fixie mode which is a great workout and has made my pedal stroke much more even. I notice this when I climb hills.

That said, a full sized bike fixie or not just doesn't really work perfectly for me. Taking it on transit is a pain, and forbidden during rush hours. I feel that while the bike is fine, it really isn't the best choice...which is why I started looking at fixie Tikits which led me here in the first place.

So please please please....pick me pick me! :-) Plus, I LOVE that green and will give Kermit a great home and will feed him with a helping of hills every day!

Oh, I hope I am not too late! I saw this giveaway when you first posted it, sighed enviously, and did not enter. I was commuting 130 miles a day (it was so terrible), and the three bicycles that already grace my garage were barely getting used. I had to sadly admit that a lovely, bright green folder didn't make that much sense in my life at the time, much as I wanted it to.

Little did I know that I was soon to be leaving that job with the awful commute, and just this week I accepted a new position. My commute will be QUITE long, but of a different nature entirely: I will be working on a teensy tiny (10 square mile) Caribbean island! I'll be splitting my time between the island and my home here in greater Boston for the better part of the next year. Holy cow!

Naturally, one of my first thoughts was that I absolutely need to get a folding bike! I will not have a dedicated living space on-island. I'll have the ability to securely store some small supplies when I'm away, but not much more, so having something that stores compactly is critical.

With the Tikit, I'd be able to fly it down in my luggage on my first trip, store it tucked away safe and sound with my work supplies while I'm in the US, and fly it home when my work is done next year. I understand that the bike would need to be disassembled in order to travel it, but since it'd only be one round trip that's not a big deal.

With the Tikit, there'd be no need to creak around the island on a dilapidated old cruiser from the local resort! And its beautiful color would certainly not be out of place.

As for this blog, I have been keeping up with you for a couple of years now. Mostly, I read for the ride reports, which boggle my mind. John's account of climbing Mt. Washington is particular in this regard. I'm not much of a distance cyclist, but I am a hiker, so that was an experience I could particularly appreciate. Seeing the crazy adventures that you both take on two wheels allows me a peek into a world that I really know nothing about. Also the tandems, because dang that looks fun. :)

I am nowhere near the caliber rider that you and John are (believe me, this is not shameless flattery, just commentary on my still-limited abilities), but I love to ride. One of the worst things (and there were many) about taking that job with the awful commute was the inability to commute by bike anymore. And I worked a lot of weekends too, so my recreational riding was significantly impacted as well. I've got three bikes--a 1968 Raleigh Sport (Mags), a 1985 Miyata 310 (Scout), and a 1986(?) Raleigh Grand Prix (Blu)--which all give me great joy. They're nothing fancy, but they're special to me. And I've long wanted to add a folder to the mix, as well a fixed gear. I hope that maybe this is my opportunity! The Tikit would be well loved and well used, both on the island and for a long time to come once it and I are both back in Massachusetts for good!

Hello, I just saw this linked to review in Bike Friday's newsletter. Sorry to say, I am a brand-new follower, but i WILL be here from now on. REALLY hope I'm not too late to be considered for your super generous giveaway.

I'm going to go ahead and post this, before diving into your posts, since it's about the time you stated to make your decision. I WILL post more later, and have already sent your link to several friends and family.

I am in love with tikits! It's the very first thing on my "Saving For" list. Of course little things like rent and food, keep getting in the way ;) I promise your bike will get a great deal of use. I'm a Paramedical Examiner - give insurance exams in people's homes. I'm usually done with exams before noon. Then I find whatever reacreational area is nearest, and go for a run or skate. I don't have bike at all right now (poverty, working on it :) ) and a tikit would be amazing for me because it could sit in the back seat and be ready when my work day is done - not practical to carry a racked bike all over the place. It would get ridden on alternating days every week. I'm also working hard on losing weight, and running gets boring to me and I fall when I skate. Also healthiest to alternate activities.

I'd also love it for errands - hate taking the car 3 mi to the grocery store. The tikit suits me to a "T". My sister'd love to borrow it too. It's also on her dream list.

Regardless of the outcome, I'll definitely be here reading. You are very kind.

As promised, I've been reading your blogs. Started as far back as they go in the "Redemption" rides. OMG I'm SOOO jealous. You all have so much fun with these rides. Sadly, no buds who want to ride together, but I'm mostly a 10-miler anyhow - perfect for tikit! And a fixie, no gears to muck about with.

Also liked your love/hate of bibs - never tried them, now I see the appeal.

Hope I'm not too late! I've been in the market for a tikit for my wife (i have one myself), and this one is beautiful. Love the blog. I lived in boston for a decade and miss it dearly. My interest in cycling blossomed after I left, so I've been meaning to get back and experience the city on 2 wheels.

I hope I'm not too late either. As a lifelong driver, I became disgusted by the waste and pollution of driving my car to work. I sold it have been walking and busing for the past 10 months. I would love to including cycling in the mix. While researching bikes I can bring onto a bus, I came across your site. I would love to try your bike and will gladly report back on my newby findings.